We’re just 2 weeks away from Bound for Glory, but we’re still in Mexico this week to enjoy the sultry flavour of Lucha Libre style, but the Impact Wrestling way. On the menu, all titleholders are fighting! Scarlett Bordeaux will make a big announcement, Impact World Tag Team Champions LAX 5150 will square off with the Desi Hit Squad. Su Yung and one of her Bridesmaid, Udmoh, will compete against Allie and Kiera Hogan. X-Division Champion Brian Cage will put his hands on Jake Crist. Tessa Blanchard will defend the Knockouts Championship against Lucha Libre AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache. And in the main event, Johnny Impact and “Crazy” Eddie Edwards (and his kendo stick) will team up against Killer Kross and Moose (I had the chance to interview Kross a few weeks ago, enjoy this “outstanding” moment here, Ortiz, Homicide and future Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Abyss’ interviews are coming very soon…). So no more words, let’s get ready for some action, but your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

 [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvc0Pd8AhBI]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week 

• Impact Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard defeated AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache. As a former AAA wrestler and 2-time Reina de Reinas Champion, Taya Valkyrie appeared on-screen after the match to challenge Tessa for the Knockouts title at Bound for Glory
• Alisha Edwards was getting mad at her husband when Johnny Impact arrived to announce he  and “Crazy” Eddie will face Killer Kross and Moose and they needed each other’s back
• Live on the oVe Creepy Cam, Sami Callihan said that Bound For Glory‘s sellout was because of them. Callihan said that he wanted to give his team some love, so he told Jake Crist that he’s going up against Brian Cage tonight. Crist wasn’t too pleased…
• Eli Drake was strolling in Mexico City to find a dummy to challenge next week
• Brian Cage destroyed Jake Crist, Dave Crist and Sami Callihan were at ringside. Sami Callihan and Dave Crist immediately jumped Cage after the match. They nut-cracked the machine. Until lights went out. When they came back on Dave Crist was gone. Pentagon and Fénix appeared on-screen, they abducted Dave They attacked him with kendo sticks and superkicks. Cage took that chance to double-clothesline Sami and Jake Crist out of the ring. He followed with a Tope Con Hilo, Sami and Jake fled
• Backstage Austin Aries, Moose, and Killer Kross expressed their feeling on the main event of the night. Kross quoted he would turn Johnny Impact into Johnny Neckbrace
• Katarina had a gift for Grado and Joe Hendry in Murder Clown, Hendry’s opponent for next week

• Scarlett Bordeaux was in quest of future talents, the casting is starting next week
• LAX w/ Konnan defeated The Desi Hit Squad w/ Gama Singh. After the match, The King appeared on-screen and promised Konnan a beating at Bound For Glory. He then burnt an old mask Konnan was wearing in his Luchador years 
• Fallah Bahh told a story and sang a lullaby to a recovering KM and promised him to get revenge 
• Tessa Blanchard accepted Taya Valkyrie’s challenge for Bound for Glory
• Kiera Hogan & Allie defeated Su Yung & Udmoh
• Rich Swann asked Matt Sydal another match, set for next week, while Sydal was meditating
• Killer Kross & Moose defeated Eddie Edwards & Johnny Impact, thanks to Austin Aries interfering. 

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Moose & Killer Kross vs. Johnny Impact & Eddie Edwards
It was time to push this storyline to the next level and, to tease a World Championship match, we needed to see what Johnny Impact was capable of. At the same time, Moose and Kross have not wrestled a lot over the last few weeks. Two weeks before a major PPV, this match was just necessary, even if it was not the match of the century. 

Aries was at ringside to see Crazy Eddie Edwards and Kross begin. Edwards chased and Moose dropped to the floor. Johnny tagged in, Kross tried to overpower him, even strangled his eyes but Impact hit a dropkick and Moose was tagged in. Edwards tagged in too but Moose ran and tagged out. Kross attacked and worked over Edwards until Impact tagged in and Kross took control with rolling suplexes. After the break, Moose was working over Johnny. But Impact quickly countered back and tagged in Edwards. Moose bailed. Edwards attacked Kross, but Kross cut him off. Moose in bit Edwards and played the nutcracker. He then connected with a dropkick before tagging Kross back in. After the giant swing, he locked Eddie on a cloverleaf submission. Edwards fought off a suplex, but Kross laid in rights and Edwards replied with a suplex counter.

Impact in to attack Kross with strikes, a dropkick, a knee strike, the sliding German, before heading up top. He rolled through on the elbow drop attempt. Moose and Edwards brawled, Edwards took Moose up top to hit the hurricanrana. Kross made the save with an overhead throw. Impact and Kross now brawled to the floor, Impact used parkour to take out Kross. Edwards hit a Blue Thunder Bomb in the ring. Aries rushed in with the belt but Impact laid him out with a belt shot. Kross hit the Saito suplex, Edwards grabbed his kendo stick and lit up Kross. But Moose grounded Edwards with a spear outta nowhere for the win.

– Tessa Blanchard vs. Faby Apache
Is Tessa Blanchard strong enough to defeat the current AAA Reina de Reinas Champion? That was the question. And I was 110% sure she would, as Impact Wrestling has been pushing her to the top since Day One, to a point that it almost became exaggerated.
Apache took control right away and hit a hurricanrana. They worked into a series of counters and Tessa finally cuts off Apache. Blanchard connected with clotheslines and a belly to back suplex. Apache countered back into a cradle and then turned it into to an inverted figure four, but Tessa reached the ropes. Apache now laid in rights, then hit a kick and the sit-out implant buster. Apache took Tessa up top, followed her up but Tessa knocked her off and then flew in with the Magnum (code breaker from the top rope). Apache fired back but Tessa hit the buzzsaw/hammerlock DDT for the win.

– Jake Crist vs. Brian Cage
Another reason to say oVe has really pushed Impact to the top since Slammiversary. They hold down the fort weeks after weeks, match after match, without making us get rid of them.
Dave and Sami were at ringside. Cage attacked at the bell and just tossed Jake around and knocked Dave to the floor. To the floor, Sami attacked Cage with a tornado DDT. Back in, Jake took control and grounded the action, working the arm of Cage. Cage cuts him off with a hurricanrana, a single armed powerbomb, a knee strike and the 619. Cage headed up top and hit the elbow drop. He follows with a sit-out Alabama Slam. Jake fired back and hit some enzuigiris. Jake headed up top but  Cage cut him off and followed him up. Jake attacked with the super cutter. But one Drill Claw later and Cage was the winner. The post-match was pretty expected but what happened after with the Lucha Brothers was pretty nice to watch.

The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week

The list could be very long this week, between Scarlett Bordeaux’s “Smoke” Announcement, Moose’s Disco red jacket, The Monster Clown in the Titanic, The Desi Hit Squad, Fallah Bahh reading a story and singing a lullaby to KM… But I’ll focus on one.

– Taya Valkyrie
First of all, I love Taya, she’s an amazing wrestler. But it’s a little bit too easy to give her the #1 contendership like that. She asked and she had, when Su Yung, Allie, Kiera Hogan or Alisha have been wrestling their way, match after match, to Bound for Glory. That’s way too easy for me but that doesn’t mean I’m not ok with this match. Because if someone can kick the bottom of Tessa Blanchard, Taya may be the right person. 

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– LAX 5150
Because they were depicted as the ultimate baddies of Impact Wrestling, we haven’t really had the chance to realize how good Ortiz and Santana are. When I started to write this review, more than 18 months ago now, I was hating them. But now I really see LAX 5150 as one of the best teams in the business today. Good job, Konnan!

– LAX OGz
In this LAX vs. LAX storyline, some things have been set up very badly. But this time, The King’s promo was impressive. Because he went to the very essence of what this storyline is about, and most importantly what LAX is about. LAX was built around the Latin American heritage. Konnan has been a huge part of it. Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero too. I just can’t wait to see this match at Bound for Glory, even if some parts of it will be tapped (Konnan is 54 and just back from a hip surgery). 

– Killer Kross
Since his debut with Impact Wrestling, we haven’t really had the chance to see him wrestle. And honestly, that’s wonderful to watch. Coming to Bound for Glory, I don’t know who will have the chance to be destroyed by Kross. But he earned his first PPV spot. (I may not appreciate the story and lullaby segment, but I would definitely appreciate hearing Kross telling me a creepy story and singing a hard rock song to me…) 

To be eNYGMAtic…

Finally, The Rock has come back… No, no, I digress… Action and strong build-up were there. But, at the same time, 15 days before a major PPV, the picture is way too fuzzy to imagine Bound for Glory as a very high-level PPV. And we only have one weekly episode to expect to have some strong answers to the ton of questions remaining about the PPV… I refused to be defeatist but, as of today, I’m not convinced yet Bound for Glory could be as good as Slammiversary was.
As far as Bound for Glory is concerned, your favourite Nygma will be there with some interviews, the weekly reviews, the stakes and predictions of the complete card and, of course, the PPV review. And because you agree with me, of course, I see you next week… And never forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling. Photomontage by @frenchnygma exclusively for @steelchairmag.